Combined fire-alarm and annunciator.



1|. CARRIGAN.

@ommen FIRE ALARM AND Ammumcmo.

E W Wm APPLICTIN HLED PDR. 27| 1916. M' M M m Pammtdl' De@ 11, 119W.

3 'SHEETS-HEET B.

M@ @E s; q. Q43@ j. BARRIIGAN.

HCOMBINED FIRE ALARM ANDANNUNCFATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 191s.

Pmkwmtedl De@ H, 19W.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. AAWWGAN. AUAABIAED HAE ALAAAA AAD A'AAluAclAoA..

APPLICATION flLEnAPn. 2. 191s. l AWR@ Pmmmedl Dm, 11, MW.

A Y 3 HEETf-SMEEJ 3- l A a AA ttl lili

OFFICE.

COMBINED FIRE-ALARM AND A.ANl2IIN'CllA'lllDIR.

meanrat. l

Specification of Lettera Patent.

Application nled Apri127, 19116. Serial No. 9t,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that l, JOHN CARBIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fire- Alarms and Annunciators; and l do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertans to malte and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combined lire alarm and annunciator and more particularly to that class to be used in buildings, in connection with automatically controlled fire doors, thermostats and air valves and to electrically connect the same to parts of the annunciator whereby whenl any of said thermostats or nre doors are operated, the fact will be instantly noted upon the annunciator.

A further object is to provide an annunciator for use in connection with. an alarm mechanism for sounding an alarm on each floor of the building and interiorly and exteriorly of the building when a thermostat is operated or a door closed anywhere in the building.

A further object is to provide means for creating a light upon the annunciator to indicate the location of the fire and upon what licor of the building.

A- further object is to provide means forpointed out in the 'accompanying specication;

ln the accompanying drawings which are made-a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a front'elevation of the annunciator with parts thereof lremoved and parts shown in section.

lFig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthereof on an enlarged scale.

lig. -3 is e vertical sectional view'A as seen on line 3--8 of Fig.. l. l

lllig. l is a horizontal sectional view as seen on line lr-l of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

1 indicates the housing ofthe annunciator,

said housing having compartments 2 and 3 therein, the compartment 2 containing a plurality of drops and controlling coils therefor, n hile the compartment 3 contains a plurality of push buttons which may be used for operating any of the drops when desired. y

The drops 4c and 5 are connected with lire doors which are positioned at suitable points throughout the building, there being a drop for each fire door so that when one of the re doors is released and moved to closed position an electric circuit is closed whichwill release the armatures 6 and 7 cooperating with arms 8 and 9 respectively of the drops lland 5, the free ends of said arms being engaged with the ends of the armatures when the drops are in elevated position.

-engagement with the arms 8 and 9 when a 'Hux is set up in coils 10 and, 11, saidarmaf tures being attracted by the coils and moved away fromthe arms. `As the drops l and 5 descend, the ends thereof engage with the brackets 12 and 13 respectively, the ends of the4 brackets preferably having notches 14: and 15 therein for the reception ofthe edges of the drops and when the descent of Patented ec.. f1, i917.. l

. r 1 `80 rllhe armatures 6 and 7 are released fromY 20, preferably glass. 'l`he form of indicator shown is applicable for a building having but two floors, although, it will be understood that by increasing the number of drops and other parts the indicator can be used 1n connection with buildings having any num.- i

ber of compartments or rooms and in fol-l lowing the description this should be borne in mi d.

ln the present instance the drop t is t used in circuit with the fire doors of the second door and in order to ascertain instantly lll@ the floor upon which the fire is located, the lowering ofthe drop into engagement with p the bracket 12 closes a circuit to the lamp 21, while a similar lampl 22 is connected to 'the brackets 13 and is lighted by the ,drop 5 coming in contact with said brackets, said drop 5 being connected to the re doors of the lower floor. The lamps 21 and 22 are placed in a compartment 23 at one end of the compartment- 2 and as said compartment'is covered with glass 24, or similar transparent material, a yview of either of the lamps may be had at a casual glance.

`In addition to the fire doors, a plurality of thermostats may be distributed vthrough the different rooms of the building which will operate when a predetermined temperature occurs adjacent any particular thermostat and connected to the thermostats of '2 0 the upper floor are drops 25, which drops coperate with brackets 26 connected with the same circuit as are the brackets 12 so that when any one of the drops 25 descends the lamp 21 will be illuminated. The drops 25 25 are controlled in the same manner as the drop 4, the energizing of the coil connected with each drop operating to release said drops.

The thermostats positioned on the lower 80 floor are .likewise connected to drops 27 which coperate with brackets 28 to form a circuit through the lamp 22, said drops 27 being controlled in the samemmanner as the drop 5 and the drops 25. In addition to supplying the various drops and lights for indicating the loca-- tion of the lire, a plurality of gongs are positioned at various points throughout the building, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which the floorplan of one oor is shown in diagram, said gongs being attached tothe circuits'of the thermostats and re doors while an additional gong 30 is attached to the indicator, the circuits of the gongs 29 being additionally controlled, that is cut in or out of circuit, by means of switches 31 and 32 so that the ringing of said gongs may be stopped, the switch v31 coperat'ing with the gong circuits of -the upper AHoor and the switch 32 with the lower Hoor. The gong 30 is automatically cut out by opening the door 19, the inner face of the hinge edge of the door having a plate 33 attached thereto, which, when the door is in closed position, engages a push button 34, the stem 35 of the push button being attached to onefarm,36 of a switch so that when the push button is forced inwardly by the Plate 33, the arm 36 of the switch will 6@ engage the'op'posite arm 37 of the switch, thereby closing the circuit to the gong 30 and said circuit is held closed until the door 19 is opened. As soon as the door 19 is opened the push button 34 is moved outwardly by means of a spring 38 thereby disengaging the arm 36 from the arm 37 of the switch and breaking the circuit to the gong 30, the arm 36 then engaging a hollow sleeve 39 extending through one wall of the housing 1 through 70 which the push button 34 extends, the engagement of the arm 36 with the hollow sleeve closing the circuit through the drops.

In order to test the apparatus controlling the fire doors, push buttons 40 and 41 are 75 placed in the circuits of the drops 4 and 5 so that by depressing said buttons the drops will be operated, providing the system is in proper condition, and the drops 25 and 27 for the thermostats are likewise connected with push buttons 42 and 43 respectively so that the circuit connecting the thermostats may likewise be tested to ascertain if they are in perfect working condition.

The annunciator drops and lights may be operatedfrom either the expansion of the thermostats or by the actuation of the releasing means for normally holding the re doors open and when the alarm is sounded it is instantly noted by observing the annunciator, a'nd if desired, the fire doors adjacentl the re may be released to automatically swing closed bypressing buttons 44 and 45 which are connected with the circuits of the drops 4 and 5 respectively and 95 the fire doors connected thereto, the operation of said buttons automatically releasing the doors to permit the same to move to a closed position.

It is to be understood of course that each re door upon each floor is to be connected with its respective push button as well as to a drop so that any or all of the doors may be closed as occasion may require to confine the fire in a certain part of the building.

The testing push buttons for the thermostats and fire doors, as well as the releasing buttons forthe fire doors are preferably placed in the compartment 3, a door 46 be- 110 ing employed for closing said compartment until access thereto is required, the door 46 being normally held in closed position by means of a latch 47, said latch extending downwardly through a slot in the partition wall 48 between the compartments 2 and 3 and entering a channel 49 in the upper edge" of the door 46 and to prevent the opening of the door 46 until the door 19 is opened, the upper end of the latch is xed to a shaft 50 which shaft extends at right angles to the latch and through bearings 51, the outer end of the shaft having a lever 52 attached thereto which enters a cavity 53 in the lower edge of the door 19 whereby it will 125 be impossible to swing the latch 49 in either direction until the door 19 is opened sufficiently to release the lever 52 from the cavity 53.

In order to ascertain the exact location of 186 imam?? l doors shown upon the floor plans, the exact location of the fire may be readily ascertained -by noting the number upon the drop that has been operated and then locating the same number upon the floor plan indicating the thermostat or lire door ,to which the drop is connected. By providing this form of device, the useless destruction of parts of the building and contents by the iremen pouring water into parts of the building where there is no fire, although said parts may be filled with smoke, is obviated. rlFhe floor planewill also show to the firemen exactly what fire doors are closed and what means will be re- .quired to reach the room in which the fire is located.

Each compartment containing a floor plan is provided with an electric lamp 58 so that said compartment will be fully illuminated and as the floor plan is necessarily made upon a very small scale and as itis necessary to quickly read the floor plan so as to find the exact location of the lire, enlarging lenses 59 arel provided, which are attached to telescoping bellows 60 and by moving "the lens outwardly the full extent of the bellows to which it is attached, the floor plans willV be greatly magnified so as to readily disclose the location of the various'thermostats andA fire doors indicated thereon.

'llhe bellows and lenses are held in proper alinelnent by providing slide plates 6l which are substantially l-shape with one end sef.

curedto the lens casing and the opposite end introduced through guides 62 attached to the roofs ot' the compartments. 'lhe compare ments 54 are closed by means of a door 63 which is held in closed position by means of a latch 64, said latch 64 beingvconstructed identical with the latch 4i' and held in closed position by the lever 65 engaging a cavity formed in the door 19 so that it will neces sitate the opening of the door, i9 before access may be had'to the interior of the compartments 54. lThe lamps 5S are placedin the same circuit with the lights of the annunciator so that when the parts of the annunciator are operated the lights 58 will be likewise illuminated and said lamps are placed out of the line of vision Athrough the lens whereby a clear vision of the floorplan may be had. l

ln operation, after the various parts have been properly set and adjusted, should a fire occur in any one of the rooms on the second the lever 3l is swung laterally floor ofthe building and nearer a thermostat than to the fire doors, the operation of the thermostat will operate one of the drops 25 and at the same time operate the gongs to sound an alarm. I

The attendant, upon reaching the annunciator, opens the door 19 which stops the ringing of the gong and then releases the 4doors 46 and 63. 'lhe attendant then notes the number on the lowered drop and then ascertains the location of the thermostatconnected to said drop, by extending thebellows 60, disposed in front of the plan of the upperfloor and making an observation through `the lens 59. lThe attendant may then close the fire doors on the upper or second floor by operating the push buttony 44, it being understood that there is a push button 44 'for each lire door upon the respective floors and one of the doors may be closed by operating one button or all of the doors may be closed by voperating all of the buttons.

lf it is desired to stop the ringing of the re gongs on the second floor, for instance,

and disengaged from the post 102,'` which will break the circuit through the gongs, since the switch lever is connected in circuit with the 4 respective drops and the alarm the second floor.

llt will likewise be understood that upon operating any one of the drops, as when a thermostat is expanded, or a fire door caused to move to closed position bythe heat releasing such door, the lamp indicating the Hoor upon which the fire is occurring and circuits of Mld also the lamp in the compartment contain ing the plan of such floor; rwill be illuminated.

ssoonpas the firemen reach the building, the exact location of the fire, as tooor and room, may be quickly ascertained by noting the number of the drop or drops that have been operated and then making the observation of the floor lan corresponding to the door of the buildlng upon which the tire is located. lln thisv manner the remen can readily determine how to reach 'the lire' with the least difficulty as it is. clearly indicated what re doors obstruct entrance to the fire. lit frequently occurs that the building is lled with smoke so that it is impossible for the firemen to exactly locate the fire, hence water is poured into parts of the building where there is no fire, not only injuring the building but destroying furniture, carpets and other articles within the rooms.

By providing the floor plan in connection with the annunciator, there is no occasion for discharging the water into parts of thel lith Various doors are manually opened and locked in their open position, the closing of the door 19 moving the` arm 36 into engagement with =the arm 37 thereby closing the circuit between the contact 37 and the gong 30. At the instant the door 19 is closed and this connecting circuit established, current will flow through this circuit through the reset relay 112 and back to the battery which will automatically reset the parts of the annunciatorso that should another fire occur ators, a gong adapted to be arranged in circuit with said drop annunciators, and means for cutting said gong in and out of circuit with said drop annunciators.

2. An annunciator comprising a housing, a door for said housing, a plurality of drop annunciators mounted within said housing, lamps adapted to be arranged in circuit with said drop annunciators, a reset magnet for use in connection with said drop annunciators, a switch adapted to be arranged in circult with said drop annunciators, and a gong adapted to be connected in circuit with said switch, said switch adapted to be actuated by theY opening and closlng of said door.

3. An annunciator comprising a plurality of drop annunciators, a lamp adapted to be arranged in circuit with said drop annunciators, an automatic switch adapted to be arranged in circuit between said lamp and drop annunciators, a gong adapted to be connected in circuit wlth said switch and adapted to becut in and out of circuit by the actuation of said automatic switch, a hand operable switch adapted to be arranged in circuit with said drop annunciators, and the reset magnet for use in connection with said drop annunciators.

t 4. In a fire alarm annunciator comprising a housing having a plurality of compartments, miniature plans arranged in one of said compartments, a rigid frame mounted in said compartment, a bellows attached to said frame, a magnifying lens carried by the free end of said bellows, an adjustable slide plate supporting said lens, a guide for said slide plate, and a lamp arranged in said compartment between said frame and miniature plans.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN CARRIGAN.

Witnesses:

F. E. HAMMOND, A. FrrzrmNRr. 

